104 new Omicron subvariant cases logged  

MANILA, Philippines — An additional 104 new cases of Omicron subvariants of COVID-19 have been detected in various regions across the country.

In a press briefing yesterday, Deparment of Health (DOH) officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said two new cases of the Omicron subvariant BA.2.12.1 were detected in Davao.

She said the patients are fully vaccinated and are now considered as recovered.

DOH records show that there are now 174 BA.2.12.1 cases in the country.

Seven new BA.4 cases were also detected, bringing the total to 104.

Vergeire said five persons from Soccsksargen and two from Davao tested positive for the BA.4 variant.

“All seven individuals are fully vaccinated and are now tagged as recovered,” she said.

The DOH said 95 additional BA.5 cases were also detected, 67 of them in Davao, 25 in Soccsksargen and  one each in Northern Mindanao, Caraga and the National Capital Region.

Vergeire said 52 of those infected are fully vaccinated, three are unvaccinated while the vaccination status of the 40 is still being verified.

She said 83 of the patients are now tagged as recovered, five remain in isolation while the status of the seven is under verification.

The DOH said there are now 3,107 cases of the BA.5 subvariant in the country.

Vergeire said the exposure, travel histories and health status of all those infected with the Omicron subvariants are being verified.

The DOH had earlier detected two cases of the highly transmissible Omicron subvariant BA.2.75, also known as ”Centaurus” in the country.

Experts have warned of a possible surge in COVID cases in the next two weeks due to the subvariant.